Saturday Night

After work Saturday night I met Orhan in the centre and caught a dolmus to Karaduvar, the village the opposite side of the Mersin Free Trade Zone. There, near the main road we ate a great dinner of icli kofte, lahmacun and sarma with fellow Aussie Jane, her husband Kemal, their daughter Alisa and Kemal’s relatives. I still wore my Port scarf and jumper but Jane, as a non-sport follower from Sydney, did not even know that the AFL grand final had already been played.

To accompany the dinner and conversation I brought a few beers and a wine. The wine was a Turkish 2001 cabernet sauvignon I had bought at Huseyin abi’s shop for 13 million. Unlike many (most?) Turkish wines, this one was quite drinkable. I can’t remember the brand but Huseyin abi has a merlot of the same mark that I may have to sample next time.

I wish Turkish wines were of better quality and value!

Like almost all mixed couples, Jane and Kemal had some very interesting stories about their time in Sydney and waiting for Kemal’s visa in Turkey. Kemal’s family have a herb (mainly parsley) production and distribution business and it was in one of the delivery trucks that Orhan and I were returned to our homes by Dogan, Kemal’s brother.

I enjoyed rambling on to another Aussie and I hope to see Jane and Kemal upon their return to Mersin after a jaunt down the coast.

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